The present invention relates to a novel chew toy for dogs. Dog chew toys are well-known and embody numerous different configurations and materials. One of the more popular of such toys was previously developed by applicant, Booda Products, Inc., and comprises a short length of cotton rope having large knots near the ends thereof so as to resemble a classic dog bone configuration. The soft cotton rope provides a brushing effect and flossing of the dog's teeth and a gentle massaging of its gums when chewed and thus provides therapeutic benefits as well as playful enjoyment for the dog. While such cotton rope bone chew toys have enjoyed widespread success and are considerably more durable than rawhide chew toys and the like, some large dogs can chew through the shaft portion of the cotton bones. If this were to occur, the attractiveness of the toy to a dog would be significantly reduced. A dog could no longer engage in the playful tossing of the toy back and forth about its head, nor readily hold the bone upright in its paws to gnaw on one of its knotted ends as dogs are prone to do. Thus, the severing of a cotton rope bone generally results in a loss of interest in the toy by the dog. Because a knotted cotton rope chew toy provides a dog with definite therapeutic benefits, it would be desirable to provide a dog chew toy which retained these benefits but which was less susceptible to being severed when chewed vigorously by large powerful dogs. The chew toy of the present invention achieves this objective.
In addition to chewing and playing with dog chew toys, many dogs also appear to enjoy mouthing soft pliable items. Such activity, when not destructively channeled to an owner's clothing, is not only harmless but soothing to the dog and beneficial to its gums. The chew toy of the present invention not only retains beneficial attributes of cotton rope chew toys while enhancing their durability, it also provides a soft pliable texture over a substantial portion of its length which is ideally suited for dogs which enjoy mouthing or gumming as well as chewing on their toys.
A number of veterinarians believe that some dogs perceive humanoid figures differently from bone configurations and as a result, certain dogs, particularly smaller dogs, will play with a humanoid doll figure differently and for longer periods of time than with a chew bone. Many dogs will carry a doll toy about similar to a child playing with a doll. In addition to the therapeutic benefits from chewing on the toy of the present invention, the toy also defines a doll configuration. Such a configuration provides the chew toy with an appearance which is more attractive to pet owners than conventional chew toys and may additionally be more beneficial to some dogs.